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Century Community Charter School
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charterschooltoday
Century Community Charter School (CCCS), located in Los Angeles County in Inglewood, California. It is a school looking above and beyond what others may be focusing on in the community. As the Bears (theyve adopted the CAL colors and mascot) strive to live up to their commitment of Achievement, Academics, and Accountability they challenge students, while providing them with the tools necessary to be able to meet and often exceed their goals. Century/LIFT provides tutoring daily until 6:00 p.m. and Saturday School twice a month. Century/LIFT and Saturday School were designed to support all students, struggling as well as high achievers. Both are paid for through a state grant and are free for students.
Operating on an annual budget of around $2.87 million, the school has 405 students (59% Hispanic, 40% African American, 1% Other) grades six to eight. The foundation of CCCS, which was established in 2004, lies in the approach they take and the vision they hold for where their students currently are and where they see them in the future.
CCCS Achievement and Accountability
When it came time to select a principal for CCCS, the Century Community Charter Schools, Inc School Board hit a home run when they selected teaching veteran Teri Delahousie Norris. She came to the position with 27 years of teaching experience under her belt, which put her in the perfect position to guide this community. She has first-hand information on how students think, what motivates them, and what would make for an effective charter school for students.. When it comes to the highly qualified teacher definition in the No Child Left Behind Act, she absolutely believes that charter school directors need more flexibility in determining what constitutes a highly qualified (HQ) teacher.
Universities are not adequately preparing teachers for urban classrooms, says Norris, Teachers must be highly qualified as-well-as highly effective in the classroom. In addition, she believes that there should be less emphasis on test scores and more emphasis on what is going on daily in classrooms. We train teachers to teach to the standards, she says. Our teachers do not feel the pressure, because it is not put on them by the Administrative team. When teachers focus on standards-based instruction the scores naturally increase
Academics
CCCS focuses on professional development, coaching, instructional leadership and the academic program using educational approach referred to as the Backward Design Model. This model focuses on effective instruction through deliberate planning that begins with the standard (What should students know, understand, and be able to do?).
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Next teachers determine the acceptable evidence that will show how we know if students have achieved the desired results and met the standard. Teachers consider a range of both summative and formative to determine whether students have attained the desired understanding of the standard.
Once that is established, the educators work backward using Blooms Taxonomy to create the unit, lessons, activities, and assignments that will guide student learning. Teachers clearly articulate the learning expectations to the students to help them develop focus and self-direction as learners.
Teachers deliver lessons using multiple modalities and array of strategies that include the traditional reading, writing, and lecture using computers (Brainpop, YouTube) and Smart Boards to enhance lessons. Students work in cooperative groups, in pairs, and alone. Assessments take the form of quizzes, tests, projects, oral reports, performance, blogs, and in some cases imovies. Variety in their assessment is critical, says Norris. The teachers make sure that they use all of the modalities so that all students have access to meet or exceed the standard. In order to accomplish this teachers are provided with laptops, overhead projectors, LCD Screens, textbooks, and adequate classroom supplies.
Teachers at CCCS are not left on their own to try to implement or work through this model. Rather, the school contracted Insight Education Group to conduct yearly training sessions as well as monthly coaching visits that assist teachers with their Unit and weekly plans. Insight Education maintains its availability to facilitate planning via phone and email when they are not present at school.
Two Instructional leaders, the Principal and Mrs. Dana Means, the school Dean, also support teachers. Support includes weekly Walk Throughs, demonstration lessons, and consistent guidance when planning units and lessons.
Students take the normal CORE classes of Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics (Pre-Algebra and Algebra), Science, Health and Physical Education, as well as a variety of electives that include Art, Drama, Dance, Choir, American Sign Language and Music. Seventh and Eighth Graders in good academic standing (3.5 or above) take Honors Classes. Honors classes do not increase the work, they do provide enriched learning, greater depth of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of material.
Century Community Charter School begins each day with an Advisory period where students learn about such qualities as respect, fairness, caring, citizenship, worthiness, and responsibility. Each Advisory selects a community service project to work on for the year, in this way students put their traits to work in their own community. Advisory teachers guide students in building their portfolios that include their best work in all subjects, for each semester they attend CCCS. The portfolios reinforce student achievement when they apply to High School and quash thoughts of grade inflation. .
In addition to the standards-based curriculum CCCS students lessons are extended beyond the classroom through field trips, clubs, and Saturday Enrichment that offer opportunities that make the curriculum come alive and provide opportunities they may never otherwise have. Students have seen Wicked, Ray Live, and The Sound of Music, on stage. They have visited the Museum of Tolerance, Pumpkin Patches (ever notices there are none in Urban areas?), a Dairy Farm, Aquariums and Art Museums.
Bear Community
Every successful school must have a team approach when it comes to the staff. At Century, they place an emphasis on providing a team atmosphere and enough support to keep people motivated and able to meet challenges head-on. The Administrative team believes community building is critical. Staff receive weekly bulletins on Friday so they can plan for the coming week, Families receive a Wednesday Newsletter that discusses and announces important events. The website is maintained and accurate and CCCS subscribes to Teleparent an automated phone system that makes calls to parents, in their home language. Teleparent, notifies parents in a timely manner about assignments, tests, and missed deadlines or misbehavior, it also reinforces positive grades and attitudes
Focusing on a Love and Logic strategy of rewards and consequences, the school tries to fit the crime to the punishment, when student misconduct does takes place. For example, if the student is caught chewing gum, they will have to clean the gum from the tables. If they are found to have been writing on the bathroom walls, they will have to spend time with their parent repainting them. The students are required to wear uniforms and the uniform policy is strictly upheld by Mrs. Vera Yarbrough, the schools Counseling TA. Mrs. Yarbrough is supported twice weekly by Ms. Sheri Carr, the school counselor (expense paid through a grant). Their system is simple”discuss the unacceptable behavior with students so that they understand the impact their behavior has on the school, its students, and THEIR learning.
We see the school as a community. We all take the time to talk to the kids, and they receive a lot of support, says Norris.
Looking Forward
One of the key factors in making Century a successful school is the high level of parental involvement. For starters, the school requires parents to perform 20 hours of volunteer work each year, such as answering phones, filing, or cleaning in the kitchen. The school also has an open-door policy which allows parents to visit the school and classrooms at any time and for as long as they like. This has been found to be a powerful way to motivate students, because they see their parents caring and taking an interest in their education.
Norris hopes that the work being done now will help influence demographic changes at area universities in Los Angeles. She intends to see student demographics of universities in the Los Angeles area reflect the diverse populations of the local schools.
In five years, our graduating class will be college sophomores, she adds. I see them coming back to mentor other students, become tutors, TAs, and Teachers, I see them giving back to their community. We LOVE Century Community Charter School.
Todd Rogers is a well known article writer for Charter School Today. Currently, he is writing on
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